Almost every child has a teddy bear and most are guaranteed to go through an intense attachment phase; when the child insists on taking their teddy bear with them everywhere they go. It’s an extensively researched attachment; teddy bears help children build self-confidence, soothe anxiety and fear and ease stress caused by unfamiliar situations. This weekend the Rippon Lea Estate …

By Aurora Educators. The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health states that children need ‘risky play’. Risky play includes activities like climbing trees and jumping from a reasonable heights, riding bikes fast, playing near water, skating and exploring without active adult interference. According to The Journal, children who are involved in risk taking play experiences improve their reaction …

When was the last time you thought about why you say thank you? We’re no strangers to the words; we say them when someone opens a door for us or when we get our birthday gifts. We say “thank you” to the last slice of cheesecake and “thank you” to our children as they delightedly hand over their latest craft …

By Aurora educators. In most households (especially ones with young children in them), mornings are always a mad rush to get through the long list of things to do to get everyone ready for the day. Challenge 1: There’s never enough time. There is nothing more special or important than to connect with your child before the morning rush begins, …

Australia Day is just around the corner and it’s important that we take a moment to reflect on what the day means and how we communicate its meaning to our children. For years, Australia Day was a National holiday welcomed by all, marked by fireworks, festivities and delicious BBQs. However, in the recent years as tolerance and sensitivity grow in …

Nuts have been at the center of many a spirited debate in the education industry over the past few years. To some, this may be surprising, but parents, caregivers and childcare experts know that more and more children are being diagnosed with nut allergies and suffering severely even if they ingest a trace of particular nuts. To stay on the …

“Mama.” “Papa!” “Yes.” “NOOO!” Even the world’s finest orators, from Mandela to Churchill to Gandhi, started their careers with a few humble words in their repertoire. As they progressed through childhood, they rapidly added new vocabulary and speech patterns to their arsenal, eventually developing into skilled speakers. Indeed, many children’s speech development in early childhood progresses in a similar way. …

How have I grown and changed this year? How have I positively impacted the lives of others? As we inch closer and closer to the end of 2018, these are questions that many of us are asking ourselves. They’re important questions, significant questions, which parents and caregivers should also be asking the young children in our lives. Our little ones …

The Christmas lights have been strung, the children have written their letters to Santa and we’re fast approaching the end of 2018. Come 2019, our Kinder children will step into primary school and the next phase of their lives. The transition to school is a big change, and it’s natural that many children will feel anxious and unsettled for their …

From graduation caps and tassels to gowns and big grins, every parent imagines what the day their child graduates will look like. Today, in some cases that happy moment is coming much sooner than college – some children are having graduation ceremonies as early as preschool! In a recent, two part article for Community Early Learning (Australia), Danielle Bopping explores …